Why SASHET is not enough (1)

Why SASHET is not enough (1)
February 11, 2015

In this video, I share about a humiliating experience I had over 50 years ago when I was in 9th grade.  I remember it like it was yesterday!  That experience illustrates why “checking in” with SASHET was initially difficult for me.  See if you identify with my story and share your comments with the rest of us.  Click on the picture below to go to our blog and watch the video.

MISSION UPDATE 2012

MISSION UPDATE

2012



After earnest prayer in seeking the mind of Christ, Laurel and I want to update you about a “new season”

into which the Lord is leading us. We have discovered that even as the Lord led the Old and New

Testament believers in “seasons of life”, He continues to do the same today in our lives as well.



For over sixty years, I have served the Lord in the “season” as a pastor (28 years) and in “seasons” as a

missionary (32 years) “sent forth” to the nations. My wife Laurel has served faithfully at my side for all of

the 46 years of our marriage. The Lord has and continues to minister through her in unique gifts as she

has blessed not only me as her husband but everyone else whose life she has touched. She is truly a

Proverbs 31 woman to me!



During our “season” of overseas missionary work we had the joy of serving primarily in Communist,

Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist nations. We learned the importance of God’s “timing” and His “windows”

of opportunity in “opening and closing” doors. As we reflect on His timeliness, we now realize that we

only had one opportunity to enter some of these nations before their doors were closed to us. Recently

toward the end of overseas missionary travels, we began to have our visas denied because the governments

“suspected that we were engaged in Christian missionary activity”.



Now, at the age of 75, the Lord is leading us into yet another “season” of life. And that is to minister

primarily from “our hired house” by receiving and hosting servants from all over the world as Paul the

apostle did in Rome according to Acts 28:16, 23, 30-31: “And when we came to Rome, the centurion

delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard: but Paul was suffered to dwell by himself with a

soldier that kept him. And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him in his lodging; to

whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the

law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening. And Paul dwelt two whole years in his

own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching

those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.”



The Lord is directing us now to concentrate on ministering to young servant leaders around the world via

the Internet through the means of our Website, Online “School of Tyrannus”, SKYPE, Blogs, Emails, etc.,

mutually encouraging one another as we are admonished in Hebrews 10:35 “and so much the more, as

ye see the day approaching”.



Also, because of the increasing high cost of overseas travel, it is not the best stewardship of the Lord’s

resources for us to continue to travel abroad. Rather we will encourage those we have already equipped,

to continue to train others within their own boarders and beyond as Paul the apostle wrote in

II Timothy 2:2: “And the things that thou has heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou

to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also”.



One of our greatest joys is to hear from young servants we have previously trained, that they are now

equipping their second and third generation of leaders for the work to which God has called them. Only

eternity will fully reveal the fruit of this continuing ministry of equipping and mentoring for Kingdom

service.



So, while the Internet is still accessible, we need to take greater advantage of this media, especially

SKYPE and our Online “School of Tyrannus”, which are free Internet services, that will enable us to continue

to make ourselves available to young leaders in various nations for dialogue and Q&A in real time where

we can see one another via the live camera. Also, leaders can use this media to equip and train others

within and beyond their own borders.



We purpose in our hearts to continue ministering to our beloved servants until the Lord calls us home or

comes again in His triumphant return!



Thank you for allowing us to share our hearts about our “new season”. We are so grateful for your

prayers and encouragement in helping continue to “to make disciples of all nations.”



In His love and grace,

Dan and Laurel Hubbell

His servants

From “a hired house” (Acts 28:30-31)

Winnsboro, Texas USA

http://www.churchrestoration.org



P.S.

1) If you are led of the Lord to take part in this continuing ministry of Internet equipping and

mentoring, please indicate it by your email response to danh@suddenlink.net

2) Also, please let us know if you have a computer and/or have access to a computer in order

to participate in this online training.



My Life Passage: “For Thou art my hope, O Lord God: Thou art my trust from my youth. By Thee

have I been holden up from the womb: Thou art He that took me out of my mother’s bowels: my

praise shall be continually of Thee. Let my mouth be filled with Thy praise and with Thy honor all

the day. Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth. But I

will hope continually, and will yet praise Thee more and more. My mouth shall shew forth Thy

righteousness and Thy salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers thereof. I will go in the

strength of the Lord God: I will make mention of Thy righteousness, even of Thine only. O God,

Thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared Thy wondrous works. Now

also when I am old and gray headed, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed Thy strength

unto this generation, and Thy power to everyone that is to come. Thy righteousness also, O God,

is very high, who hast done great things: O God, who is like unto Thee.” Psalms 71:5-6, 8-9, 14-18

Disciple making Movements

Hello Friends, We have been rereading the parables of the Kingdom and revisiting Church Planting Movements (the book & a free PDF booklet are available at www.churchplantingmovements.com). David Garrison lists 10 characteristics of most church planting movements and you might be interested to note that David's background and context is Southern Baptist.
1/ Climate of Uncertainty in the Culture
2/ Insulation from Outsiders
3/ High Cost of Following Christ
4/ Bold, Fearless Faith
5/ Family Based Conversion Patterns
6/ Rapid Incorporation of New Believers
7/ Worship in the Heart Language
8/ Divine Signs & Wonders
9/ On the Job Leadership Training
10/ Missionaries Suffered

It would seem that where believers have the least ability to exercise political power such as in China or in Iran, the Kingdom is multiplying the most rapidly. Where believers are forced to invest in prayer and people, the Kingdom advances. Where believers have the most freedom, the Kingdom is not advancing or at least not advancing as rapidly. Do we abuse freedom when we invest in programs, buildings & expressions of political power rather than prayer and people?

Does the Kingdom grow best when the illusion of power is taken from us? When it must grow from the heart and cannot be imposed from above? When the seed in the heart becomes the man in the field and then fills the earth? Do we understand the Kingdom as growing from the inside out rather than top down?

Testimonies from Iran speak of the believers there not only pursuing the family based conversion patterns but going out in public and praying the prayer of Luke 10 to be led to a person of peace. There if you talk to the wrong person about Jesus and that could mean prison. Speak to the one prepared by the Holy Spirit and tears come to their eyes. They are ready to hear and respond to Jesus.
Your brother
Steve








www.harvest-now.org

HOW TO HELP?

Friends, Jesus said that ministering to the least is ministering to Him. Love what Roland & Heidi Baker do ( www.iris.min.org ). They take in orphans and teach all of their national leaders, no matter how poor, to do the same. Powerful! But not all walk in the same spirit. A friend who cares for orphans in Brazil commented that if all the church leaders in Brazil would each adopt one, there would be no more kids on the streets. Instead the church leaders were petitioning the government to do something. Poor.

To often leaders in every nation seem more concerned with buildings and sound systems than the poor so we want to do something. One group builds a western style institution with dorms, dining halls, classrooms or maybe single family dwellings in a compound with a school and sports fields. The children have nice beds, showers, quality food, good educational opportunities and it will cost a lot of money. The national partners will run it, of course, but with all that money coming from the west the golden rule will kick in- "He who has the gold makes the rules."

Another group buys plots of land and provides dwellings normal for that culture with no running water or electricity. They provide independence by giving each couple a cow, three goats, a sewing machine, some seeds and a hoe. They are able to support themselves and ten or twelve children in the manner of that culture. They will be independent and will need no further funding from outside. They will live simply and may suffer if there is drought or sickness but they will not develop the resentment that all people begin feel towards those that they are dependent upon. Plus the money needed to run the institutional orphanage for a year for a hundred kids would start another forty or fifty of such families on their way. In ten years you could see 4000 or 5000 kids in loving homes or you could still be caring for the 100 in the institution.

The children from the institutional orphanage will have a tough time going out into their culture and dropping down in their standard of living. Maybe they will get sponsored for further education or maybe even to go to the west. One institution in the west that seeks majority world students in order to train the "future leaders of the nations" found that less than 15% of those trained went back to their home countries. Life in the west is good! But what have we done here? Have we not robbed a nation of its sons and daughters? Have we not taken labourers from that harvest field?

The institution provides a target for terrorists groups to destroy. It provides a focus for anger against the west. It provides a nice facility for corrupt local politicians to confiscate. And the funds given for the orphans are burned to the ground or confiscated. Why did you build those buildings? Yes, to help but maybe there was just a little desire to raise up a monument to your name or ministry? And what happens if the money runs out? Asking that question will get you into trouble. Ask me how I know. What happens? Do the kids get thrown out onto the streets?

The sons and daughters raised in the simple homes never leave their culture. They are not at risk like the kids in the institution if the money stops flowing. They are raised by godly parents to be salt and light in that culture.

Who decided to build the institutional thing? Did the westerner ask what the locals wanted? Yes, the local partners may have wanted the big thing because they saw position & privilege. But if you had really asked them what was best, what do you think they would have said? What would you have heard if you had taken the time to really listen?

My goal is to get you thinking. Caring costs and you want your dollars to count. Maybe you think I just ask questions to get a reputation for being a shit disturber. But these things matter. We can only touch these issues in a short letter but if you want to explore further let me recommend www.whenhelpinghurts.org . And yes, for those of you that were thinking "What did Steve & Marilyn do about this stuff?" In the season before we were gypsies for Jesus, we had three young people come to Jesus from pretty rough backgrounds who came to live in our home. They did so until they got married. Good times with those three and our three in a very modest bungalow.

Responses? Would love to hear from you and especially from friends in the majority world, that is, the NON western world. What do you think? If you like you could place your comments under this article on our website, that way others can read and interact with your thoughts.

No man is so poor as the one, who because he can only do a little, does nothing.
Steve Hill

JANUARY FRIENDS LETTER

Greetings Friends
‎ "My name is Ania, I am 20 years old. Before coming to Christ, my life was a nightmare. Our mother was a drunk,& my sister Ira & I were given wine at 6 years at her parties. We often spent nights in basements and attics of apartment blocks. We drank & smoked marijuana. At age 11, my sister (she is elder) & I were raped in a beastly manner & after that we often thought about suicide. By 13 I was living with a drug addict who beat me & at 14 I had Umed, my baby boy. When my boyfriend went to jail & my sister & I had no money for food, we prostituted ourselves. Eventually we hit bottom & didnt want to live. It was only because of my son that I did not commit suicide. At the end of 2010 uncle Sergey came to us & started talking about Jesus. We repented & received Him & our lives have changed. We started learning to read & write & now we can read the Bible by ourselves. In the summer of 2011 we were water baptized & now we are serving girls who are like we were in the past. We gather girls and boys from the streets, hold fellowship with them & talk about Jesus. There are some who have received Him. Now we are praying for a home. We have been through a tragic life and understand them. Whoever reads my testimony, please pray over my sister and me, so that we would be able to lead many addicted girls and prostitutes to Christ. Blessings to you in the Lord, Ania and Ira"

Yes, Jesus changes lives and we have the privilege of partnering with our friends there as He does so. The story above is from Tajikistan. Will you pray with them for a home? Our friends in Kazakhstan have just started their second "Doma Mira" (House of Peace) residential community.

Friends in Pakistan want to translate "The Luke 10 Manual" into Urdu, Punjabi and Pashtu and give a copy to all the church leaders in Pakistan, Saqib "My soul has a great passion to change the mind set of all these brothers and sisters who are wasting their energies and resources trying to build western style Mega Churches." They can print for under $2.50 per copy and will start with 2,000 in Urdu. Will you pray about helping with this project? Western governments have spent billions combating terrorists. Let us help release a wave of Jesus followers.

A Burmese friend will publish 1,000 in Burmese and we need help with that project as well. Their cost is $2.00/copy. The Norwegian version came out last fall and one friend there said it was the most important book he has ever read! Not sure I would say that but it does pack a punch. Another Norwegian friend paid double for the book, "It was worth a double!" Need a Norwegian copy? Contact Inger at ingerjek@gmail.com

To order the English version of Luke 10 go to www.harvest-now.org and click on the book and Lulu will send you your order.

Opportunities are growing and so are the challenges.
We appreciate your friendship, prayers and partnership in putting the go in the gospel.
Steve & Marilyn

www.harvest-now.org
www.harvest-now.org

UNDANGAN Simple Church Network

UNDANGAN
Simple Church Network


Shallom,

Kepada saudara saudariku dalam Kristus Yesus, Simple Church Network, merupakan sebuah komunitas orang percaya yang terbeban pada penanaman gereja dan mereka yang perduli terhadap apa yang tengah Tuhan kerjakan dalam kehidupan umatNYA. Di seluruh dunia dewasa ini Tuhan tengah membangkitkan pria maupun wanita untuk terlibat bersamaNYA memasuki pengalaman dan petualangan baru yang menantang. IA memanggil kita semua untuk terlibat dalam pelebaran KerajaanNya dengan melahirkan banyak keluarga Kristus yang bergairah dalam Dia (simple churches = gereja sederhana, gereja organik, gereja rumah,dll) di seluruh wilayah dan kelompok suku bangsa.
Simple Church Network bukanlah sebuah organisasi tetapi kumpulan penanam gereja yang berkumpul sebagai saudara seiman dan keluarga dalam Tuhan. Saling berbagi pengalaman, pelajaran, mendoakan, mendukung pelayanan seorang dengan yang lainnya, menasehati dan lain-lain. Tanpa memandang ia berasal dari denominasi atau organisasi mana. Sebab kita semua satu dalam tubuh Kristus.

APAKAH SIMPLE CHURCH NETWORK?

Kami adalah keluarga penanam gereja. Tuhan Yesus memanggil kita semua untuk terlibat dalam Amanat AgungNYA. Kita dipanggil untuk melahirkan keluarga-keluarga baru secara rohani (yang sering disebut simple church, gereja rumah atau gereja organik). Kita dipanggil untuk memultiplikasikan gereja dan memobilisasi setiap anak Tuhan untuk terlibat dalam pelebaran Kerajaan Tuhan.
Kami adalah komunitas praktisi. Kami adalah sebuah komunitas praktisi penanam gereja. Kita di sini bukanlah kumpulan “pakar”, tetapi kumpulan orang yang mau belajar bersama.
Kami adalah komunitas keluarga. Komunitas ini tidak memiliki kepemimpinan dengan sistem sentralisasi tetapi desentralisasi. Kita ingin bergerak bersama secara fleksibel dengan keunikannya masing-masing dan dengan kecepatan optimal tidak dibatasi oleh sistem hierarki yang kaku dan menghambat. Kita menitik beratkan pada sisi kekeluargaan dan kebersamaan.
Kami berjejaring dengan LK10 dan Outreach Fellowship International. Dua badan ini telah menjadi rekan dan juga mentor kami dalam hal penanaman gereja sederhana atau simple church.
Kami mengikuti teladan pelayanan Tuhan Yesus. Langkah awal pelayanan Tuhan Yesus memilih 12 orang murid, di mana Ia menginvestasikan hidupnya pada mereka (Lukas 6:40). Lalu Ia mengutus mereka untuk masuk ke kota maupun desa, menemui keluarga-keluarga memberitakan Kabar Baik dan memuridkan mereka, memulai gereja di rumah-rumah. Setelah itu mereka melaporkan apa yang telah dikerjakan pada Yesus (Lukas 9:10). Pada tahap ke dua, kita melihat kini Tuhan Yesus mengutus 72 orang murid, untuk melakukan tugas yang sama dan lalu mereka pun memberikan laporan atas apa yang telah terjadi (Lukas 10:17). Kerinduan kami sebagai murid-murid Kristus adalah untuk mengikuti pola yang telah IA berikan dengan memuridkan orang percaya, mengutus mereka dan saling menguatkan dalam memperlebar Kerajaan Tuhan.








DESKRIPSI BAGI YANG MAU MENJADI BAGIAN SIMPLE CHURCH NETWORK

Rekan jejaring Simple Church Network

1. Seorang yang memiliki hati dan gaya hidup seorang ayah atau ibu rohani (1 Tes 2:1-12). Mereka berfungsi sebagai seorang pemimpin berhati hamba yang merindukan setiap “anak rohani” yang dimentor beroleh keberhasilan (Mat 20:25-28). Ia memiliki karakter yang terefleksikan dalam kehidupan sehari-hari dari seorang episkopos (penilik) dalam 1 Tim 3.
2. Seorang yang memiliki hati dalam penanaman gereja Tuhan, pemuridan, kesatuan tubuh Kristus dan pelebaran Kerajaan Tuhan; seorang yang isi hatinya tampak dalam pekerjaannya. Seorang yang mungkin pernah atau tengah mementor paling tidak dua buah penanaman/perintisan gereja (simple/house/organic/emerging church). Simple Church Network tidak pernah membatasi rekanannya dalam berorganisasi. Mereka dapat saja terlibat dan melayani di dalam organisasi/institusi gereja tradisional atau sebuah denominasi atau yayasan Kristen (parachurch).
3. Seorang yang setiap hari berdoa sesuai Luk 10:2b, meminta penuai-penuai baru di ladang Tuhan. Seorang yang tak berhenti berdoa dan mencari “man or woman of peace”(orang yang layak menerima damai sejahtera) di dalam sebuah wilayah atau kelompok tertentu. Luk 11:5-10, 18:1-8, Pkh 4:9-12.
4. Seorang yang dalam tiap kesempatan mengajarkan semua orang percaya untuk taat pada semua pengajaran Tuhan Yesus (Mat 28:20).
5. Seorang yang merasakan panggilan Tuhan atas suatu wilayah (lingkungan tetangga, kota, propinsi, negara dst) atau suatu kelompok suku dan budaya tertentu (suku terabaikan, suku yang mayoritas belum percaya, subkultur {punk, gothic, bikers, anggota gang/mafia, skaters, dst}, postmodern dst). Seorang yang bersedia berjejaring dan saling memperlengkapi di dalam jaringan ini. Dimana setiap saat kita saling berkomunikasi melalui milist, email, chatting, blog, SMS, telpon atau bertatap muka dalam pertemuan tahunan. Dimana setiap rekan jejaring bersama-sama mencari wajah Tuhan untuk mendapatkan strategi dalam memperlebar Kerajaan Tuhan dengan cara yang beragam, kita disini tidak mau terjebak dalam “penyeragaman strategi”.
6. Seorang yang secara pribadi siap untuk membina hubungan dengan semua rekan jejaring dalam skala nasional. Siap untuk bersama rekan yang lain untuk hidup saling memperlengkapi dalam jejaring regional.
7. Seorang yang pembelajar (memiliki hati yang mau diajar) dan pengajar/pelatih bagi penanam gereja lainnya (atau bagi mereka yang baru mau melangkah menjadi penanam gereja). Seorang yang mau belajar dalam Konferensi Simple Church Network dan mengajar dalam konferensi tersebut.









TIM SIMPLE CHURCH NETWORK AKAN:

1. Kami akan membawa diri Anda dalam hati kami (Kel 28:29) dan berdoa bagi Anda (Fil 1:3-11).
2. Kami akan ada untuk Anda melalui telpon, e-mail atau mengunjungimu kalau hal itu memungkinkan (1 Tes 2:8).
3. Kami akan menyediakan bahan-bahan pelajaran bila diperlukan untuk memperlengkapi Anda maupun jemaat (http://gerejaperjanjianbaru.blogpsot.com , http://enonlinebibleschool.blogspot.com , http://zoeministries.blogspot.com, www.LK10.com, www.robertfitts.com , dll)
4. Kami akan menghubungkan diri Anda dengan rekan-rekan jejaring lainnya dalam jejaring ini.


CONTACT PERSON:

DAVE BROOS
E-mail : davebroos@yahoo.co.uk
Mobile phone : +6281330135643